![The procession held in Chiapas State in honor of the two murdered cyclists. - [Photo courtesy: Rodrigo Pardo / EPA / Shutterstock]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/5/8/660x290/b_502x220x82/the-procession-held-in-chiapas-state-in-honor-of-the-two-murdered-cyclists-photo-courtesy-rodrigo-pardoepashuttestock_1985203.jpg "The procession held in Chiapas State in honor of the two murdered cyclists. - [Photo courtesy: Rodrigo Pardo / EPA / Shutterstock]")
Two European cyclists who were found dead in Mexico were killed, Mexican authorities have said. The bodies of Holger Hagenbusch and Krysztof Chmielewski were discovered in Chiapas State at the bottom of a cliff. Hagenbusch is a German citizen while Chmielewski is Polish. Local authorities had initially ruled the deaths as accidental after a loss of control of their bikes. a report by the BBC provided most of the information used in this article.
No evidence of bad intent
Family and friends suspected foul play and requested the authorities to conduct further investigations.
Luis Alberto Sảnchez, who was recently appointed as special prosecutor, on Friday (May 11) said the incident might have been an intentional homicide. It might have been a robbery, he said.
The body of Chmielewski was the first to be found, on April 26. Eight days later, Hagenbusch’s body was found further down on the same road, which is between Ocosingo and San Cristỏbal de las Casas. Arturo Pablo Lievano, the Chiapas attorney general, had initially said the two might have been knocked off the road by a driver and there wasn’t any evidence of bad intent. Reiner, brother to Hagenbusch, however, told the German press those involved were trying to cover-up a murder. He also revealed on Facebook that the Polish cyclist’s body was decapitated and a foot was missing.
Murder cover-up
Investigators say the cyclists might have been assaulted and Chmielewski’s head injury may have been from a gunshot. The bike found next to his body belonged to the German, further leading to speculation of foul play. The assailants, while trying to make the killings look like an accident, confused the pair’s bikes, Mr.
Sánchez said. Krzysztof Chmielewski, aged 37, had been touring the world by bike. He had been to 51 countries and was planning to tour Argentina after Mexico. The German, on the other hand, had been on the bike tour for four years and had been to 34 countries. They were not on the tour together when their paths crossed in Chiapas.
Mr. Sánchez said the two might have been a short distance from each other. He admitted it was premature to label the deaths as an accident as the German’s bike had no signs of being in an accident and some of the cyclists’ belongings couldn’t be found.
People from San Cristỏbal de las Casas held a peaceful procession in honor of the pair on May 6. They urged the authorities to ensure the families of the pair got the justice they deserved. They carried a white-painted bicycle, which is a gesture used globally for cyclists who die on the road.
